About the DFID program

Innovative projects of NSIFT within the DFID programme.

During the implementation of the second Project on poverty alleviation, in the beginning of 2004 the Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the government of the United Kingdom and the World Bank, directed to support the impact of the second Project on poverty alleviation, capacity building of NSIFT and cooperation partners, and in June of that year, with an aim of enhancing the support of community development and increasing their role in the Project implementation, the agreement was signed on provision of grant, regarding the allocation of funds to the Republic of Tajikistan from the Government of United Kingdom. At the same time, innovative projects, which include: projects on social services for poor population, economic projects that are directed to the development of community potential and infrastructure projects, were introduced in the second Project.
When the Republic switched to market economy, and there was a shortage of resources for production, more than half of the population fell into poverty and was deprived of an opportunity to access basic social services. The difficulty was in the fact that legislative base was not developing, and there was a shortage of highly qualified specialists in the sphere of social services.
It is known that the main type of services in social sphere is still not accessible for majority of population. Innovation projects were precisely directed to make main types of services available for poor population. This is primarily relates to services of health sector, and to obtaining of information in the education sector.
During implementation, as NSIFT specialists say, innovation projects have a positive influence on creation and improvement of the legislative base of the Republic of Tajikistan, and promote changes in social sphere. However, first of all, by examining experience of foreign countries in addressing difficulties that are similar to ours, by conducting deep research, and afterwards gaining experience in action, it was necessary to determine the correct solution to problems in Tajikistan. With this purpose, NSIFT representatives visited several countries, which had social problems similar to Tajikistan. In these trips, NSIFT specialist got introduced with new ways of problem solving concerning orphans, activities of centers for disabled and elderly, centers of recovery and assistance to population.
Within the innovation projects training of specialist by new methodology was planned. Since in the second Project the scope of NSIFT activity has expanded, the volume of works with communities was increased, for effective works in problem solving of poor population, projects of new category were envisaged in the programme – social and economic “innovative” projects. This type of projects led to the need of strengthening the capacity of NSIFT partners and promotion of development of relations with a relatively broad political program and transition from infrastructure as the main direction to global way, as well as a need to support cooperation among management of local self-governance authorities and civil society organizations, by putting in the first place the significance of human development for provision of access to economic and social benefits for population. Given requirement emerged during the development of NSIFT strategy in order to make participation of communities to be active before and after project realization. Participation of local authorities in all cycles of project implementation and increase in communities’ level of informativity, as well as the need to increase attention to the development of human activity (training for communities and partners) are the requirement, and are considered to be one of the objectives of the given programme.
Realization of the given Programme has started in May, 2006 after signing the MoU between NSIFT and local authorities of Vahdat, Taboshar, Isfara cities and Hissar district. National Fund together with its partners – nongovernment organizations, has organized information-mobilization events to clarify goals and objects of new relationships on community projects. According to strategy, Community development council was founded in pilot communities, which included representatives of local authorities, as well as nongovernment organizations and communities.
Community development council, based on communities’ initiative and offer, prepared plan of community development, and National Fund based on it allocated funds to Community development council for realization of approved micro projects and provided qualified assistance. To implement plans for development and progress of the pilot communities, aimed at solving difficulties, new relationships were introduced; under these relationships, first of all, training of the whole community population was implied. As an example, in micro project “family planning – guarantee of a healthy future” in medical institution of Lijak village, Chuyangaron Jamoat, Vahdat district, the capital repair was held in the building of institution and it was equipped with medical equipment and necessary furniture. In this case, new relationship is expressed in the fact that the cabinet for family planning and promotion of health was established in this medical institution, from where women-residents of village can receive timely assistance and recommendations of highly qualified specialists on issues of family planning and healthy life.
In micro project “Treatment with the help of labor for pupils of “Chorbog” boarding house, Varzob district”, in which mentally disabled children are educated, highly qualified teachers were involved, who taught children drawing, pottery, embroidery, cutting method and sewing during two months. Teachers of the boarding house were also involved in the training, who afterwards will work independently with children. At the end of this project, methodological guidance was prepared for future work of teachers, and the exhibition of pupils’ results of works was organized. It should be noted that the given program was realized thanks to services of the Government of the Republic and the World Bank.